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Paddy Power brand boss Leah Spears on why it's doubling down on non

Irish gaming giant Paddy Power has never been shy about taking a gamble and the brand’s latest move – partnering with Channel 4’s long-running reality TV show First Dates – is another bold step further into the mainstream entertainment sphere. Following up on last year’s cheeky sponsorship of the rebooted game show Password, Paddy Power […]

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Paddy Power brand boss Leah Spears on why it's doubling down on non

Irish gaming giant Paddy Power has never been shy about taking a gamble and the brand’s latest move – partnering with Channel 4’s long-running reality TV show First Dates – is another bold step further into the mainstream entertainment sphere. Following up on last year’s cheeky sponsorship of the rebooted game show Password, Paddy Power is once again betting on non-sport TV content to reach and entertain new audiences, particularly outside its traditional sports fan base.

But for Paddy Power, this isn’t so much a risky bet as it is a strategic and logical next step in what brand director Leah Spears calls the brand’s “entertainment-first” philosophy. “We’ve always considered ourselves to be an entertainment brand more than a gambling brand,” she tells The Drum. “Even our social channels never talk about betting – it’s all about fun, mischief and cultural relevance.”

And culturally relevant First Dates certainly is. The Bafta-nominated show has been a fixture on Channel 4 since 2013, making it one of the broadcaster’s most beloved primetime formats. The new 14-month sponsorship deal, which kicked off last night (Monday, April 7), will see Paddy Power Games roll out 19 original idents, airing across Channel 4 and E4 throughout the year – including seasonal spikes around Valentine’s Day, Christmas and summer specials.

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Leaning into awkwardness

Created by BBH London, the idents are set in ‘Café du Chance,’ Paddy Power’s fictional dating bistro, with brand ambassador Peter Crouch front and center. From cringeworthy first date bill splitting to misread signals and shocking family confessions, the short spots serve up humor with a heavy side of relatability. “Like gaming, dating is full of moments where you wish you could just have another go,” says Spears. “That shared sense of unpredictability made First Dates feel like a natural fit for us.”

The idents don’t just riff on the awkward charm of the show – they are designed to seamlessly blend with it: “When we’re thinking about idents, it’s all about enhancing the show, not distracting from it. From the outset, we wanted our presence around the show to feel integrated and authentic, like it belonged there, not just a badge at the beginning and end of each episode.”

Crouch, who plays various roles in the spots, including chef, waiter and maître d’, is more than just a recognizable face. His self-deprecating humor mirrors Paddy Power’s mischievous brand tone perfectly. “Crouchy is a dream ambassador for us,” says Spears. “He takes awkward moments and makes them even funnier. We knew he was the one to bring this idea to life.”

A strategic shift from sport to culture

Paddy Power’s pivot into mainstream, non-sports programming began last year with its sponsorship of ITV gameshow Password and Spears says the response from audiences was immediate. “What we learned from Password is that viewers appreciate when sponsorships feel like a natural extension of the program. We wanted to do more of that – showing up in unexpected but culturally resonant places.”

This strategic shift reflects a broader ambition at Paddy Power to engage viewers through cultural moments that exist beyond sport, which has traditionally been the brand’s domain. “First Dates gives us that platform,” Spears says. “It’s culturally relevant, it’s loved by both men and women and it’s entertainment at its core. That’s the sweet spot for us.”

Indeed, part of the appeal lies in broadening the brand’s reach, particularly with women, a demographic Paddy Power Games has seen growing traction with in recent years. “Gaming has become a space where more women are active and First Dates is the kind of environment that allows us to speak to them more directly,” she adds. “That’s not to say it’s just for women; it’s entertainment for everyone.”

Extending the conversation

The deal isn’t just confined to TV screens. Paddy Power plans to roll out digital and social content in parallel with the First Dates broadcast schedule, tapping into key storylines and moments in real-time. “We work best as a brand when we react,” says Spears. “New episodes give us the opportunity to jump on cultural moments and make them even bigger, whether that’s a jaw-dropping date or a meme-worthy one-liner.”

This reactive model, already a hallmark of Paddy Power’s sports content, is being adapted for the First Dates universe. The team will push bite-sized clips, memes and extended skits across platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to fuel ongoing engagement.

It’s a model designed less for short-term performance and more for long-term brand love. “This isn’t a commercial play,” Spears points out. “We don’t track these partnerships based on conversions or revenue. It’s purely about association, entertainment value, consideration and trust. Ultimately, we’re building brand warmth.”

Regulated, but playful

Of course, not everyone is comfortable with gambling brands appearing in mainstream entertainment and Spears acknowledges the scrutiny. “We’re heavily regulated and rightly so. We only partner with brands and programs that align with our values and where we can show up safely. First Dates ticked all of those boxes. It’s responsible, it’s inclusive and it’s about giving people another chance.”

That final phrase, “another chance,” also happens to be the campaign’s title and central theme. It’s a neat alignment between gaming and dating, risk and reward, mishaps and hope. And it’s why the First Dates sponsorship feels like more than just clever placement, more a statement of intent.

Only just under starter’s order

With First Dates running through to June 2026 and plans for new content drops throughout the year, Paddy Power isn’t ruling out future partnerships in the entertainment space. “We’re always looking for unexpected ways to show up,” Spears says. “It doesn’t have to be sponsorship; it just has to be culturally relevant.”

With women set to take center stage in 2025’s sporting calendar – the Women’s Rugby World Cup and the Women’s Uefa Euros are just two of many huge events looming – maybe this is the perfect time to reach out to more women. One thing is clear: Paddy Power is betting big on culture.

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NIL

Cowboy Baseball Dominates Series Opener

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State cruised to a 12-0 win over UCF in Friday night’s series opener at O’Brate Stadium.   With the win, the Cowboys improved to 20-21 overall and 8-11 in Big 12 play, while UCF fell to 24-21 and 6-16 in the league.   Harrison Bodendorf got the ball for his 12th start […]

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STILLWATER – Oklahoma State cruised to a 12-0 win over UCF in Friday night’s series opener at O’Brate Stadium.
 
With the win, the Cowboys improved to 20-21 overall and 8-11 in Big 12 play, while UCF fell to 24-21 and 6-16 in the league.
 
Harrison Bodendorf got the ball for his 12th start of the season and picked up the win with eight innings of shutout ball. The southpaw struck out seven while allowing just four hits and one walk to improve to 8-1 on the season.
 
Colin Brueggemann and Brock Thompson did the heavy lifting for the Cowboy offense, as both had two home runs and combined for six RBIs.
 
The Cowboys scored in each of the first five innings to take control.
 
In the bottom of the first, the Cowboys got runners at second and third with no outs after Alex Conover was hit by a pitch and Brayden Smith doubled. The next batter, Nolan Schubart, delivered a sacrifice fly to left field to give OSU a 1-0 lead.
 
In the second inning, the Pokes took advantage of an error to add two runs, with a sacrifice fly by Conover making the score 3-0.
 
The lead reached 5-0 when Brueggeman jolted a two-run homer to right-center field in the third, and after Bodendorf finished his fourth scoreless inning, Thompson drilled a solo home run to right field to push the advantage to six.
 
In the fifth inning, Brueggemann reached the bleachers for the second time on the day — this one a solo shot for his 11th round tripper of the season. And after a Jayson Jones single, it was deja vu as Thompson left the stadium with his second long ball of the day and fifth of the year.
 
The sixth inning marked the first time in the game in which the Cowboys failed to score, but the Cowboys got right back to it in the seventh, with three runners crossing home plate, all on bases-loaded walks, to make it a 12-0 game.
 
Stormy Rhodes came out of the OSU bullpen and worked the final inning, striking out two to secure the shutout.
 
The Cowboys will look to clinch a conference series win Saturday, with the second game of the series starting at 6 p.m.
 



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After a Projected $46.5M Deal, Travis Hunter Outshines NIL Topper Shedeur Sanders in Rookie NFL Season

Colorado dual-star and Heisman winner Travis Hunter was the second player taken in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars wanted Hunter so badly that they jumped ahead three picks with the Cleveland Browns to make the move, giving up two firsts and a second-round pick in the process.  As the second overall pick in […]

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Colorado dual-star and Heisman winner Travis Hunter was the second player taken in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars wanted Hunter so badly that they jumped ahead three picks with the Cleveland Browns to make the move, giving up two firsts and a second-round pick in the process. 

As the second overall pick in the draft, Hunter made himself a lot of money. His rookie deal, according to overthecap.com, is worth four years, $46.5 million with a $30.6 million signing bonus. He is set to make $11.6 million per year. 

Hunter’s teammate at Colorado, Shedeur Sanders, isn’t in the same boat as Hunter as far as the value of his rookie contract. While he was once considered a top-three pick, Sanders slid to the fifth round of the draft, costing him millions of dollars. 

According to overthecap.com, Sanders’ rookie deal is a four-year deal worth $4.6 million, making an average of $1.16 million per season. Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, will be making $48 million on his deal. Sanders lost out on potentially $40 million. 

When you compare how big of stars the two were at Colorado and how both were projected to be top-five, top-10 picks for a while, Hunter will be making ten times what Sanders is making. It’s wild to see the big disparity between the two, as Sanders was viewed as the bigger star in college.

As for NIL value and worth, the two are much closer. 

Who makes more money in NIL deals, Travis Hunter or Shedeur Sanders? 

Even before the two Colorado standouts were drafted, they were each stars in college football. Sanders was known for his flashy persona and ability to win games as a quarterback. Hunter was a unicorn, playing as a star on both sides of the field as a receiver and corner. 

Since the two were popular college football athletes during their college careers, they both earned a good amount of NIL money. According to on3.com, Sanders just tops Hunter in NIL valuation, by but less than $1 million.

Sanders’ value is listed at $6.5 million compared to Hunter’s total of $5.7 million. While he was an NIL topper in college, things have shifted for Sanders as he lost millions of dollars in his rookie deal and will have to compete for a spot in a crowded Browns quarterback room. Meanwhile, Hunter is expected to be a two-way starter in Jacksonville and seems like he’s the superstar the franchise desperately needed. 



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Potential NIL Executive Order Could Impact UCLA

At the University of Alabama commencement ceremony, legendary head coach Nick Saban gave a public address last Thursday before welcoming President Donald Trump on stage, before Trump gave his own remarks. According to The Wall Street Journal’s Josh Dawsey, Rachel Bachman and Laine Higgins, in a meeting set up by former Auburn head coach and […]

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At the University of Alabama commencement ceremony, legendary head coach Nick Saban gave a public address last Thursday before welcoming President Donald Trump on stage, before Trump gave his own remarks.

According to The Wall Street Journal’s Josh Dawsey, Rachel Bachman and Laine Higgins, in a meeting set up by former Auburn head coach and current U.S. Senator from Alabama Tommy Tuberville, Saban spoke with Trump regarding NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) with the belief that Trump could issue an executive order regarding it.

Tuberville laid out his goal of the meeting on Wednesday.

“Hopefully, we’ll get to sit down with Coach Saban,” he said. “President Trump wants to help on this NIL. I don’t know how he can do it through an executive order. But possibly we can sit down and talk some insight of what Coach Saban thinks about it, what I think about it and we can come up with some sort of agreement because right now it’s in a tailspin.”

Saban, a massive critic of NIL, has found its implementation, plus its use with the transfer portal, detrimental to the game and to the development of players as players and as people.

While the White House has yet to make a formal statement regarding their intentions with NIL, rumors are circling that a potential executive order would undo years of legislation regarding the issue.

What exactly that means remains to be seen, but UCLA, like all collegiate football programs, may be preparing for a new frontier in a sport already on the Western Front.

Here’s the deal. If Trump issues an executive order, the order may challenge the fundamental balance of the U.S. executive branch and the judicial branch, with the result either defining or redefining the roles and powers of each branch.

The order’s enforcement may be called into question, considering the NCAA is not a federal entity, they are an association. However, some members of the association are funded by the federal government.

Whichever way the pendulum swings, if an executive order is issued, things are going to get sticky quickly. Without any guidelines on what reform may look like, UCLA must be ready for changes at a moment’s notice, as college football is one signature away from looking very different from what it is right now.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI and @tcav30.

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Trump considering executive order to regulate NIL after meeting with Nick Saban: report

Name, image and likeness is taking college sports by storm, and it might take the government to slow it down. After meeting with Alabama head coach Nick Saban Thursday, President Donald Trump is reportedly considering an executive order to regulate NIL deals in college athletics. According to The Wall Street Journal, Saban told Trump the […]

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Name, image and likeness is taking college sports by storm, and it might take the government to slow it down.

After meeting with Alabama head coach Nick Saban Thursday, President Donald Trump is reportedly considering an executive order to regulate NIL deals in college athletics.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Saban told Trump the influx of money has hurt college sports. Saban does not want to halt NIL payments but wants them “reformed.”

In an appearance on Fox News Channel last year, Saban urged Congress to step in and make NIL “equal across the board.”

“And I think that should still exist for all players, but not just a pay-for-play system like we have now where whoever raises the most money in their collective can pay the most for the players, which is not a level playing field. I think in any competitive venue, you want to have some guidelines that gives everyone an equal opportunity to have a chance to be successful,” he said.

Saban said the NCAA “can handle” NIL and whatever changes are necessary, but Congress “needs to” add “national legislation.”


President Trump gave the commencement address at the University of Alabama on Thursday.
President Trump gave the commencement address at the University of Alabama on Thursday. AP

“Now, we just have the state legislation — and every state is different — that would protect the NCAA from litigation once we establish guidelines for the future of college athletics. But the litigation is what got us to this point right now,” Saban said. “We have to have some protection from litigation. I don’t know if it’s antitrust laws or whatever. 

“I’m not versed enough on all that to really make a recommendation. But I know we need some kind of federal standard and guidelines that allows people to enforce their own rules.”

The NCAA last week passed rules by which colleges would be allowed to pay athletes as a result of a multibillion-dollar lawsuit settlement expected to go into effect this summer.


President Trump met with former Alabama Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban on Thursday.
President Trump met with former Alabama Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban on Thursday. Getty Images

Earlier this week, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said “if anyone” can help regulate NIL, “it’s President Trump.”

Saban introduced Trump Thursday at an event for Alabama’s graduating students, where Trump gave a speech. In the speech, Trump raved about Alabama’s athletic programs, saying the school is a place “where legends are made.”



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Softball Closes Out Season Hosting Ohio on Saturday and Sunday

Story Links KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan softball team wraps up the 2025 season on Saturday and Sunday, hosting Ohio. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m., followed by a 12 p.m. start on Sunday.   All three games will be streamed live at […]

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KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan softball team wraps up the 2025 season on Saturday and Sunday, hosting Ohio. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m., followed by a 12 p.m. start on Sunday.
 
All three games will be streamed live at www.wmubroncos.com/watch and live stats are available at www.wmustats.com. Tickets can be purchased at www.wmubroncos.com/tickets.
 
SPECIAL SATURDAY
Between Saturday’s doubleheader, the Broncos will take time to honor the 1984 MAC Regular Season and Tournament Championship team. The 1984 team went 39-19 overall and 10-2 in MAC play. The group brought in the program’s second-ever MAC Regular Season Championship and then the program’s first MAC Tournament Title.
 
THANK YOU SENIORS
Prior to the start of Sunday’s game, Western Michigan will honor its five seniors: Riley Dittmar, Jensen Gremillion, Payton Kelly, Kailey O’Connor and Taylor Wolfe.  The group has combined to appear in 494 games for Western Michigan, driving in 125 runs, hitting 21 home runs, recording 15 wins on the mound and three saves.
 
The group has also produced 81 victories for the Broncos over the past four seasons.
 
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
Ohio heads into the weekend with a chance to win the MAC Regular Season Championship with a 34-15 overall record and 17-6 in conference play.
 
Sophomore Brenna Farmer leads the team with a .354 batting average, 56 hits, 12 doubles and is second on the team with 41 RBIs. Emma Hoffner is tied for the team lead with four home runs and is just ahead of Farmer with 43 RBIs. Ohio’s hitters have combined for 145 walks to just 154 strikeouts. The team has an on-base percentage of .773.
 
Anna Wise and Skipp Miller have each started 19 games on the season. Miller is 16-6 with 13 complete games and six shutouts. Wise is 10-5 and has a team-best 2.45 ERA.
 



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Iowa basketball coach Ben McCollum agrees to 6-year contract with starting pay of $3.35M

Iowa men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum agreed to a six-year, $22.75 million contract that runs through the 2030-31 season, according… Iowa men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum agreed to a six-year, $22.75 million contract that runs through the 2030-31 season, according to the memorandum of understanding he signed last month. The document, obtained Friday through an […]

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Iowa men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum agreed to a six-year, $22.75 million contract that runs through the 2030-31 season, according…

Iowa men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum agreed to a six-year, $22.75 million contract that runs through the 2030-31 season, according to the memorandum of understanding he signed last month.

The document, obtained Friday through an Associated Press public records request, outlines a pay package that lists McCollum’s base salary at $500,000 each year with supplemental pay that increases annually. His formal contract was not available for release, the university said.

McCollum will earn $3.35 million in his first year, with his compensation rising to $4.1 million in the sixth year.

McCollum would be in line for six-figure bonuses if the Hawkeyes reach the NCAA Sweet 16, topped by $400,000 for winning the national championship. A Big Ten regular-season title would earn him $75,000 and a conference tournament championship $50,000. Additional bonuses are tied to his players’ academic performance.

He will have a salary pool of about $2.1 million for assistant coaches.

McCollum, whose hiring was announced March 24, led Drake to the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament championships and a win in the NCAA Tournament in his only season with the Bulldogs.

Athletic director Beth Goetz announced McCollum’s hiring 10 days after she fired Fran McCaffery and two days after McCollum wrapped up a 31-4 season with a loss to Texas Tech in the second round of the West Regional.

___

AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Copyright
© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.



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